Friends, as I turn 34 today (12th August), I pray that I become a wiser Kenyan. This is the only gift that I may yearn to have from you. The Kenyan gift of unity. As I keenly excite my mind and soul I wish you would share a few sentiments that touch on our unique unity as Kenyans.  First our current proto-tribal and political essentialism may only divide Kenyans further.

Except as a geographical appellation, Kenya as a nation does not stand as one. It is only but a country with the name Kenya . We are never a single conceptual unit but our tribes and ethnicity are. Kenyan anthropologists have failed to re-define and discuss why Kenya can or cannot stand as one. They should save us from our politicians. 

Even in our politics, political parties have a different concept of ¡times and leadership¢. The grand coalition government seems transcendental and trans-historical but the fact remains that we are still ¡stuck in the murky waters¢ of our generational tribes. Why are some of our leaders campaigning now, only months after the post-election skirmishes?

Each ethnic community either feels inferior or superior and never equal to the other. The metaphysical difference is not on our ¡Kenyaness¢ or in our possessing valid national identification, academic qualifications or just feeling Kenyan in Kenya . It lies with the so called ¡Kenyan mind¢. The mind that sees one unifying human classification in forty-three different ways and cultural tastes. That which believes that Kenya is but divided into tribal segments of seasonal conflicts and parties.

Our short-termism strength only lies when we are not united but divided. During the precipice, years ago, we had two volatile factions. The Orange and Banana that were then the raw symbolic fruits of our political democracy.

Last year, our segregation proved volatile and segregation. We felt united as we had identical ID cards and ballot papers when casting votes. Deep inside we were at loggerheads and in anger and pain. After the elections we laid blame for all our evils on historical injustices, the ECK (though it had its weakness), the politicians and whole electoral process.

Currently we are in a tomb of mass deceit. We have proved incapable of progressing, engendering, transforming and evolving from the dark past that were the post-election related challenges including violence, deaths and the aftermath; a grand coalition that had to be opportunistic for the sake of our national stability.

Certainly the real difference and disparity amongst Kenyan ethnic group and ¡ Kenya ¢ as a nation is in the Kenyan mind.

The mind that is unstable, motionless but tired, very forgetful and preciously unlearning.

The same mind tells us that we are ¡one¢ but on the outside we are Luo, Kalenjin, Gikuyu and Luhya, as our real identities. Unfortunately this obsessive listing of such selfish but essential differences remain utterly tribal, ethnic, divisive, partisan and fragmenting. Even with the new constitution still pending and wanting, resolving historical injustices and land issues, merging political parties and having new ECK officials we stand to loose again and again if we continue looking at others as being different.

It only proves our counter-productivity to deceiving ourselves that we can promote our tribal interests and sectarian identities, ethnic cultures, tribal parties and elections as we continue confusing that with ¡cultural diversity¢. This ¡diversity¢ only propagates and worsens the already re-established but delicate political fabric, stability and unity that previously had been fractured by our selfish ignorance.
 

It is thus time that we accepted to acknowledge our limitations and own up as Kenyans. Our political and tribal skepticisms won¢t take us far. Let us break from the selfish bloodline, tribe, party and political prisons that are the outgrowth of our loose history. Time has come for us to refuse to marvel at ourselves when things go wrong but instead set the record straight.  Are Kenyans loosing the sense of their worth for the sake of their little stomachs and indignity?

   My heartfelt regards go to HARRIET NJOKA (my girlfriend and who has been supporting me fully) and to you all for taking your time to read this.
 
Regards,

Mundia Mundia Jnr.

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Date:  Tue, 12 Aug 2008 01:34:26 -0700 (PDT)
From:  mundia mundia
Subject:  TRIBALISM INFECTION, THE DISEASE OF OUR OWN MAKING…